In today’s blog, we will talk about circumstances when an accusative case is accompanied by the prepositions u or na. In those situations, we find the accusative often standing next to a verb of movement ( ići → to go, voziti → to drive, dolaziti → to come, putovati → to travel, etc.) and showing a direction, in which the subject is moving. For instance:

When do we use the prepositions u and na?

The preposition u is used to describe the subject entering a concrete place: a room, a building ( pošta → the post office, škola → the school, kuća → the house), a city (Zagreb, Split, Dubrovnik) or a country (Hrvatska, Njemačka, Italija). Here are a few examples:

The prepositions u and na are often standing next to the locative case as well. An important factor in the distinction of the two cases is the fact that the locative describes the place of an action. You can read about other prepositions in use with the locative case in our blog.

The preposition na is combined with verbs of movement as well, although these verbs indicate walking into an open surface or are connected to an abstract term (lunch, coffee, performance):

When forming the locative it is very helpful to ask: Where am I? (→ Gdje sam?), while for constructing the accusative you would ask the question: Where am I going? (→ Kamo idem?).

How would you say the following in Croatian?

Where are we going? →
Answer
Kamo idemo?

We are going to school. →
Answer
Idemo u školu.

I am coming to the café. →
Answer
Dolazim u kafić.

You are going to the park. →
Answer
Ideš u park.

We are going for some coffee. →
Answer
Idemo na kavu.

I am going to lunch. →
Answer
Idem na ručak.

Ivan and Marko are going to the restaurant. →
Answer
Ivan i Marko idu u restoran.

You are going to the post office. →
Answer
Idete u poštu.

We are travelling to Croatia. →
Answer
Putujemo u Hrvatsku.

We are driving to the island Cres. →
Answer
Vozimo na otok Cres.

He is going to the beach. →
Answer
Ide na plažu.

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